Very Computer

I've come across this program on the web and if you believe them it's
great for character modelling and animation.

My particular need is for creating animated characters for computer
games. Has anyone used it succesfully for this or a similar purpose?

Any other thoughts on how good or bad it is?

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WEB -> http://www.satech.net.au/~scarman
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Quote:> I've come across this program on the web and if you believe them it's
> great for character modelling and animation.

> My particular need is for creating animated characters for computer
> games. Has anyone used it succesfully for this or a similar purpose?

> Any other thoughts on how good or bad it is?

Jeff

Current version is 4.03 PC/4.04 Mac.  Many users, me included, experience
frequent crashes.  It's good-ish value for $200.  You can download an
Acrobat (PDF) format manual, though they don't provide a printed one.
I've been put off  MH3DA because I know that invariably anything I try to
texture or manipulate is going to cause the thing to crash.  Sometimes it
doesn't even give Dr Watson (NT) a chance to catch the crash ... it just
goes *poof*.

For character animation, you create the whole character out of splines in
the Sculpture module (limited toolset, some people like this, I'd prefer
more tools).  Then you have to split it up into separate segments like
left calf, right calf, left thigh, etc.  Then you go into the Character
module and re-add all the segments hierarchically.  Then you skin the
segments together.  Then you set the IK constraints.  Then you can animate
your figure, giving it actions to perform, one after another and/or at the
same time.  You can define muscle motion for lip-synching and eye blinking
etc.

Oh, rendering (ray tracing) is very slow.  You also have scan-line which
is faster but won't render certain textures.  The new blobby particle
textures crash the program a lot.  No lens flares yet.  Motion blur and
depth of field are only in the $700 version.  The amount of crashes and
bugs reported on the mailing list suggests to me that v4 could do with
more testing.

This doesn't stop people like Rod Altschul from producing truly amazing
animations with the program (see
http://www.primenet.com/~merod/SynActor.html ).  There are tutorials from
Hash and users on the web.  I prefer to spend my limited time more
productively with LW, though I keep on trying each new Hash version as it
hits their ftp site in the quest for stability.  One day ... may be one
day ...

My humble 2p.

Regards,

|David Oxley, Logica UK|SH1/DS 75 Hampstead Rd|+44 171 4461800(tel)|

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All opinions expressed are mine not Logica's. http://www.logica.com/

Nate hayes

Can you use this *Martin Hash* motion for importing into Light Wave? And if
so, how is it implimented?...........thanx md :)

Make certain everyone is clear on which one is being discussed.

MH's 3d animation is the $199 base version
MH's Animation Master is ~ $699 i think, and has more stuff in it.

Jimmy McKinney

Nate

We just published a buyer's guide of professional 3D animation packages in
our new magazine, NT Studio. In the article, Hash was compared to
Softimage, 3DSMAX, Lightwave and Lightscape. Our reviewer was impressed
with the character animation for such an inexpensive product (compared to
Softimage or 3DSMax). The cover date is August/September 1996. Contact

Hope this helps,
Jeff Bolkan - Managing Editor, PC Graphics & Video/NT Studio

Once you get the hang of the spline based modeling system, it becomes
relatively easy to build free form complex 3D organic models.  Since the there
are very few control points for a well made spline model, it also is
relatively easy to tweak the model exactly how you want it.

Ben Cooley
CINEMATIX

Quote:> The $199 version does particles? I didn't think so.

Jeff

LSam
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It was not me who admit defeat, it was only God's will.


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You are not current.  With 4.03 MHA includes those features.
Check the Web site and download an upgrade.

On Sun, 18 Aug 1996 13:48:36 -0700, Charles LonerSam

no, it does not have particles and dynamics, that is the $700 version
 (which also has distributed rendering)